Herby Chickpea Tabbouleh with Oven-dried Tomatoes

Tabbouleh, a Middle-Eastern parsley salad, contains very little bulgar wheat and is served as part of a mezze platter. However, the increased amount of bulgur wheat and added chickpeas and feta, make this a more filling salad. This can be made a day or so ahead of time and stored in the fridge.

Step One : Preheat the oven to 120oC. Cut the tomatoes in half lengthways, sit on a baking sheet cut side up, and bake for 1-2 hours. This is just enough time for the tomatoes to start to dry out and begin to shrivel around the edges, which will intensify their flavour, making them wonderfully sweet and juicy. Remove from the oven and leave to cool.

Step Two : Cook the bulgur wheat according to the packet instructions, then rinse under the cold tap to cool it down. Drain really well, shaking the sieve to separate all the grains, then tip into a large mixing bowl.

Step Three : Add the chickpeas, herbs, spring onions, pomegranate seeds, olive oil, lemon zest and juice to the bulguar wheat and season with salt and pepper. Gently stir in the feta, spoon onto plates, and serve with the tomatoes.